For the implementation of original design decisions when creating an unusual landscape, many gardeners use conifers. They give the site a noble appearance and decorate the territory throughout the year. Today we will consider the main types of conifers for the garden, we will analyze the main principles for creating compositions from evergreen trees and shrubs.
Features and benefits of conifers
Almost all conifers are evergreens. Only some species, for example, larch, dump needles to the cold. Others "update" their needles gradually: once every few years, obsolete needles fall off, and new ones appear in their place. So why are these plants so popular among gardeners? They are distinguished by endurance, frost resistance. It is also important that conifers for the garden have a clear shape, do not require regular pruning. The advantages include the fact that they tolerate an insufficient amount of sunlight. Conifers have a well-developed root system, which means that they can survive for a long time without watering. It is scientifically proven that the aroma of such shrubs and trees has a beneficial effect on human health - both mental and physical.
Requirements for coniferous plants
Experienced gardeners say: if you want your site to look attractive at any time, without requiring special care, you need to be able to choose conifers. What are the criteria? Firstly, they should not freeze in winter, even without shelter, and not be afraid of the spring sun. Moreover, such a plant should not dry out or get wet. It is important that conifers for the garden grow well on any soil other than wetland.
Kinds
It is worth saying that not all conifers are suitable for the design of the site. Landscape designers have long identified specimens that take root well and create magnificent combinations with other shrubs and plants. Coniferous plants include species such as spruce, cedar, cypress, pine, fir, yew. Let's talk about the most popular conifers that are suitable for your garden!
Juniper
Among the most popular conifers for the garden is fragrant juniper. The evergreen "long-liver" has a magnificent appearance, and its aroma allows you to heal from various diseases and strengthen the immune system.
This coniferous plant for the garden has a large number of varieties, it can be either a creeping bush or a tall tree. Among gardeners, common juniper is popular, having the following varieties:
- Hibernica is a columnar tree reaching five meters in height.
- Compressa is a small copy of the previous juniper.
- Green Carpet is a creeping juniper perfectly suited for lawn design.
No less popular is juniper Chinese. It grows well on dry stony soils, characterized by branches of a bluish tint. Such varieties are especially appreciated as Gold coast - a bright shrub of green-gold color, Plumosa - a low-growing coniferous plant for the garden, Blue Alps - a high variety, which is characterized by fragrant blue needles. No less popular is the variety Expansa Variegata - Chinese juniper with scaly needles, combining green with light cream. Gardeners and juniper Kuriwao Gold like a wide shrub, the young shoots of which are yellow in color.
Another coniferous plant ideal for the garden (pictured) is juniper horizontal. It is able to form an attractive carpet on your site, and its average height is about 40 centimeters.
One of the most interesting representatives of junipers is scaly, with decorative hard blue needles. True, he has serious shortcomings: he is sick from the heat and does not tolerate frosts.
Juniper Care
Almost all junipers prefer moist soft peaty soils. A large amount of sunlight will not harm them. But its lack will lead to the fact that the needles will become loose, the plant will lose its attractiveness. In order for the juniper to be healthy and delight you with its decorative appearance, it is necessary to provide the plant:
- Watering and spraying during hot periods.
- Regular cultivation of the earth around a bush.
- Wrap up for the winter and shelter from the scorching sun.
One of the main dangers of this decorative coniferous plant for the garden is fungal diseases. Under their influence, Fusarium can begin in all varieties of juniper (the so-called decay of the roots and trunk of a plant). It is worth noting that if the fungus has spread to most of the juniper, then the plant must be destroyed. Therefore, gardeners recommend in early spring to treat the roots and needles with a special antifungal mixture.
It also happens that the juniper turns yellow. Usually the reason for this is a lack of moisture and vitamins, scorching sunlight. In this situation, you should trim the affected needles, treat the plant and moisten its crown. Another problem that bothers gardeners is the drying of juniper, which occurs most often due to the lack of watering or fungal diseases. Dry branches should be cut, the remaining treated with natural paint or garden var.
Larch
If you want your garden to be decorated with magnificent conifers as soon as possible, plant larch trees. They grow much faster than other trees. Almost all larch trees (and there are about 20 species) do not tolerate flooding and nearby groundwater. Such conditions can lead to the fact that the plant simply dies at 20-30 years of age.
When choosing a tree for the garden, pay attention to Daurian larch (it is also called Gmelin larch).
Even in not very favorable conditions, a small seedling can become a decorative adult plant - this elegant beauty survives up to four hundred years! The height of an adult plant reaches 33 meters and a diameter of about 90 cm. But it is worth noting that difficult soil and climatic conditions lead to the fact that the tree remains stunted. Daurian larch is especially good in May, when delicate bright green needles appear on the branches, and in September, when the plant acquires a pleasant golden yellow hue. In the summer, the plant casts a slight shadow, and in winter practically does not obscure the area.
Larch Care
Caring for a coniferous plant in the garden is completely uncomplicated. Any garden soil is suitable for larch. In addition, it is able to tolerate even boggy (although this can negatively affect its decorative properties). Daurian larch is particularly light-loving, so experienced gardeners recommend planting it in a well-lit area. The plant is able to tolerate severe frosts and thaws, a sharp change in climatic conditions.
Young larch needs regular loosening of the soil, removal of weeds. She needs watering. But adult plants do not need additional moisture supply, however, it is recommended to fertilize with fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus - this will accelerate growth.
Tui
Among the most ornamental conifers for the garden is the evergreen beauty thuja. Her homeland is East Asia and North America. Today, there are 6 species of thuja, but in our country without much effort you can grow only one, called the western thuja. The view, of course, is one, but do not be upset, because it has about 30 varieties. That is, every gardener will be able to find a plant suitable specifically for his site.
All varieties of thuja western are characterized by excellent winter hardiness, a variety of shapes and colors, sizes. The needles are also different - it can be needle-shaped, scaly and mixed. We offer to consider the most attractive varieties of thuja:
- Emerald. The name of the coniferous plant for the garden in Greek means "emerald." This variety is conical in shape. The height of an adult plant can reach 4 meters. Smaragd - thuja resistant to diseases and pests, frost-resistant. It is ideal for creating hedges, but it looks good in single plantings.
- Brabant. The height of this cone-shaped thuja is 15-20 meters. The variety is frost-resistant, tolerates a haircut, hardly burns in the spring. True, he also has a significant drawback - the branches of an adult plant can fall apart, so they must be tied together inside the crown.
- Speaking of shade-tolerant conifers for the garden, it is impossible not to say about the thuja Albospicata. The tips of the branches of this variety are white in color. Albospicata is especially decorative in spring and in the first half of summer. Plant height reaches 5 meters. This thuja is winter-hardy, it needs shelter from the sun and tying the crown for the winter.
- When choosing dwarf conifers for the garden, pay attention to the Danica variety.
Thuja care features
All thuja can be safely called unpretentious plants. They grow equally well in the sun and in the shade, and are practically not demanding on soils. This coniferous plant is suitable for clayey, marshy, peaty and loamy soil. Thuja grow best in places that are protected from strong winds and drafts. The only thing required is moistening the soil. Watering is especially important for a young plant: once a week it is necessary to make about 10 liters of water per tree. In the dry period, it is worth watering thuja twice a week. Gardeners recommend sprinkling. The ideal time for this is on warm summer evenings.
It is important to feed thuja. This should begin two years after planting in open ground. Do not forget about the mulching of the trunk circle. For these purposes, bark, gravel and wood chips are suitable. All adult thuja perfectly tolerate winter. In this case, varieties with a loose crown should be tied with twine - this will protect the coniferous plant from breaks.
Fir
If your site has a large enough area not occupied by buildings or plants, it can be decorated with fir. The main advantage of this plant is the needles, which do not fall for a long time and do not become rusty. In addition, the soft and thick crown of this coniferous plant for the garden (pictured) can easily tolerate pruning and shaping.
Why is fir so popular with gardeners? It has a neat crown of small diameter, shiny green needles, dense branches. In the design of the garden, conifers are often used to create ceremonial alleys. They are perfectly combined with maples, mountain ash, rhododendrons and birches. Landscaping experts recommend using hedges to create hedges along the edges of the site. Dwarf specimens look flawlessly in rock gardens.
What varieties should I look for? The following species are most commonly found on sites:
- Balsam fir. The plant is resistant to waterlogging soil, tolerates frosts. His height can reach 25 meters. This fir survives to two hundred years! It should be noted that the root system of this species is not very deep, and therefore a strong wind can tumble down the plant. Speaking of varieties, it is worth noting dwarf ones - Nana and Hudsonia, with blue needles - Glauka, needles with white tips - Argentea, creeping - Prostrata.
- Korean fir. This coniferous plant for the garden is shade-loving, slow-growing in the first years of life. The height of an adult tree can reach 15 meters in height. Fir has a good decorative and winter hardiness. Gardeners were especially fond of decorative forms - Blue Standard (a variety with dark purple cones), Brevifolia (a slowly growing fir with short needles and small cones), Silberzweig (a low-growing plant with silver needles).
- Caucasian Fir. Gardeners call this plant a long-liver. This is not accidental: the fact is that Caucasian fir can live up to 500 years. Its height reaches 60 meters, and its diameter is two meters. The shape of the crown resembles a cone. By the way, the winter hardiness of this coniferous plant is small. Even an adult copy does not tolerate prolonged cold weather. Among the most decorative forms can be noted such varieties as Pendula, Aurea, Glauka.
- Monochrome fir. This plant reaches a height of 40-60 meters, survives up to 350 years. Fir is not afraid of frost, drought, smoke smoke. The only thing needed for this conifer is a large amount of sunlight. Gardeners distinguish the following decorative varieties - Violacea (with long needles of white-blue color), Glauka Kompakta (dwarf fir with blue needles).
Fir Care Features
Experienced gardeners say that fir does not require special care. They need watering only after planting. The thing is that this plant does not respond well to excessive moisture. But fir will not refuse fertilizer. It is necessary to feed a coniferous plant in the spring. The tree does not need pruning, but you can periodically prune branches that are knocked out of the overall composition. By the way, cutting branches is recommended no more than 1/3.